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Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Posted by Caroline Russock, October 14, 2009 at 5:00 PM

The following recipe is from the October 14 edition of our weekly recipe newsletter. To receive this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here!

Last week we had the pleasure of sharing some of our favorite recipes from acclaimed pastry chef Karen DeMasco's The Craft of Baking, but we couldn't resist squeezing in just one more for Pumpkin Baking Week.

DeMasco's recipe of cashew brittle came from her grandmother, Grandma Rankin, who made 150 pounds of the stuff each holiday season to share with her friends and family. The Craft of Baking features the original recipe, but also includes this variation which uses crunchy salty pumpkin (and much cheaper) pumpkin seeds in place of the decidedly decadent cashews. Pumpkin seeds can be found in many supermarkets, but especially those that have a selection of Mexican herbs and spices. Look for the little bags of green seeds labeled pepitas.

Pumpkin Seed Brittle

- makes one 1 3/4 pounds batch -

Adapted from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) toasted pumpkin seeds

Procedure

1. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set it aside.

2. Combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup of water in a large saucepan. Stir together so that all of the sugar is wet. Cook the mixture over high heat without stirring until it turns a dark amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Carefully whisk in the baking soda, followed by the the salt; the caramel will rise and bubble. Using a wooden or metal spoon, fold in the pumpkin seeds. Pour the brittle onto the prepared baking sheet, and using the back of a spoon, spread it out into a layer about 1/2 inch thick. Let it cool completely. Break the brittle into bite-size pieces, using a mallet or the back of a heavy knife.

3. The brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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Tags: brittle, candy, Cook the Book, Karen DeMasco, Mindy Fox, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, recipe newsletter, The Craft of Baking